The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-04
LEPROsy IN HAWAII.

TIE Progress Of an Ircura6se lralsdy
Considered by 81 ATe~iCan Cores
pendent
When the history Of leProzy hars IS writ
Ten Il xiu make interesting re2iiEg and
ouen TO- eyes Il many 70 the abHss which
fo1rssh gnEss- tie present regime, gss-Tts
ths Eoaol1fa correspondent Of the Spring
fed Re0s5Eisy1a The chsef agency IN the
treatment q cha DISEASE IS the epe- settle
rnent. m9Ss ably oef3carei by Dr.. Mauritz
and Els ASSISTANTS. un the isi2rd Of Aolokai,
als51- - miles from Oahu. upon whose
brls--iE- cliffs should be written Dan-e's In
s--ipcloa over the EnHuth Of hsll:
Asa.3oz hope all re who enter here.
In this des1-ate and harren place, 50 rouzh
and p-~-2lsosIs II shore that landing Is
effected WITH difficulty. and where the SEA
beats WITH Sglrf fury that even fishing IS
inlp1ssstle. are roil@cced from all the Islands
those wllss= Gases afford no hope OF aIlevia-
ton Here a town has BEEN built. with
Tsd= AMI . sE-ssnf streets, and NEAT houses
- about gy5-h little plots " riIlable ground,
and b-re the unfortunate victims OF the dis
ease, = TIE uumber Of so or 50, are kept in
A. comfortable q state as possible until
death cozzss 90 thar relief Cure there j.
BnEle- Ia spEre q the utmost efforts Of scien-
rs-sc usel the proper treatment, AMI even
the caGSa, Of le9rosy are as little known as
IN the tame q Moss. All that can Re done
j "a make easy the sufferers descent 70 the
tomb. alleviate by morphine and other pain
1e.z1@uIEI- drugs the terrible pangs which
usually accompany his end and law him
away as suss&silly IS possible IN the earth,
clearsi already Of half its labor In bringing
his body 20 corruption The work Of death
: s0I1es1EseS slow, sometimes rapid attend
81 continually by novel and unexpected
pz2egrJme1a- the disease assuming Protean
snaps s. Il p1rsyles It's course in difereat
czzS-S Le- but the leprous spot. be II ever
50 snail. appear uDCn man, and not all
th@ skll Of le-ch can save him; his death
warrant Is ssgnei, and it is only question
Of time wlEsEl, in slow or swift succession,
rs hair falls out: his ears become swollen.
p'sodUl11s and mons-rous: the membranes
u mJuth and carTlages Of nose are eaten
aE9T. AMI TIE voice assumes a harsh and
r1nrD7uas tone: the limbs enlarge and are
covered with lOaths0zne scales: fingers and
tos drop on, sappuraring sores break out,
AMI al ths internal organs become liberated
and tCbsrculols. Up to the final stage the
TaIn has generally not been severe. but now
great suffering usually ensGes, and the VIC
t-n dies n aEunizlRg pangs unless anodynes
are generously applied Details Of the dis
ea~e are q the most hideous description,
- Tia disease Is one that will haunt a
man OF ordinary seElsibilities % the end OF
his hf4
One would think that the government Of
a country afflicted with such a sc0urge
would sEare nO efforts TO stamp il out
but. IN point Of fact. there seems TO BE- little
Teal inclination 70 eradicate it In theory
tn principle Of strict isolation IS carried
out. and every case II sickness that Is found
tsai NJ
once 10 the leper colony az Molokai; but in
truth II Is probable that the larger proper
ton Of afflicted persons are allowed 70 keep
thsIr condition concealed, and become centres
from which may spread an area Of disease.
The lepers Of M0l0ksi. also, are permitted
% marry and propagate. and a large
number OF children are born Of them. II
must be sad however, that the children OF
leTrUus parents are not necessarily them
selves lepT0Is.
The chances are that thsy viii be So
earlier OF later, but cases are not infreouent
where five or six children have been born
IN families where both parents were leprous
and yet never developed the disease them
selves Other instances are known where
two or three children would Be born with
OK faint, Gt@n IepTUus one would appear,
after which others would show no contain
nation L Often happsns, too. thai one
member Of married couple will be ieDrOus
and the other not infected Nor do the ma
tives have any fear OF their afflicted friends,
but live IN the same house, sleep in the same
bed have their clothes washed in the same
water. AM are always free from Ieprosy
Themselves The disease does not seem to
be contagious, a. least in the ordinary &c
Ceptation OF the word, and visitors need
have no fear Of il, but it Is certainly com
municable by mans whose very obscurity
makes them more terrible Leprosy seems
10 Be On the increase in the islands, and is
likely 70 csJltinue 50 until the principle Of
isolation : rigblly enforced maria ges Of
Esp-Ous persons are prohibited. and the gov
eTumenr ss-S Itself Ia earnest about the work
Of making an end Of this constant menace
70 the life q every resident Of the kingdom
Il Is not NATIVES alone who swell the popula-
ton OF IOlokHi's sad settlement: many
whites, who have been brought into long
contact with the natives. have also sue
cImbsi 70 the disease, among them some Of
the men VINO have been most prominent in
their efforts to find the cause aud cure Of